


Thank the Cameras

by softkent (SalazarTipton)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: 3.8 LVA @ PVD - Part II, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Coming Out, Established Relationship, Kent POV, Kiss cam, M/M, Marriage Proposal, parsepositive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-03 05:11:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13334187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SalazarTipton/pseuds/softkent
Summary: A lineman comes over to break them up and get the game moving on. Apparently his goal counted, though that felt like years ago, and they got a few more seconds on the clock. It doesn’t matter. In the end, he got a hell of a lot more than a questionable point out of all this.





	Thank the Cameras

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Jack Zimmermann versus the Kiss Cam](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13313847) by [S_M_F](https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_M_F/pseuds/S_M_F). 



> sorry is this feels rushed and if there are any errors (pls point them out to me so i can fix 'em). i got this stuck in my head at 4 am and had to get it out. 
> 
> i've been seeking out established-pimms for so freaking long and i've come to terms with the fact that if i want it, i have to write it. hope you like this!

Kent knows he’s been a dick, but he can’t help it. The annoyed expression Jack keeps shooting his way just keeps egging him on. Playing against Jack for the first time seemed so huge and built up in his head over the past few weeks that Kent forgot he could have a little fun with it, aside from wanting to wipe the ice with the Falcs. 

 

He knows the camera caught him nudging Jack’s shoulder before the got aligned for puck drop. He’s never been able to ignore an opportunity to mess with someone nor add his own flare for drama in his life. Tonight, after the game when Jack is sprawled out in Kent’s bed, he’s knows he’ll have a few choice words about Kent’s focus on the him instead of the game. 

 

Jack fakes and rushes past Kent towards Moony in the net. Before he catches his bearings, realizing how much Jack’s changed on the ice since juniors, part of the crowd is cheering. Jack slams into Tater in a celly with a lopsided grin. 

 

The look fits him—semi-reserved smile mixing with the thrill of a goal. Kent knows that look on Jack; that look belongs on Jack, but only when he’s playing anyone aside from the Aces. 

 

This time before setting up for the drop, Jack nudges Kent’s skate with his stick just enough to make him wobble. It was so quick the camera operators probably didn’t notice it. Honestly, the only people who did will have it GIFed on Twitter already. He can imagine all the fan theories about their rivalry paired with some of Kent’s shenanigans throughout the game tonight. 

 

He’s always loved perusing social media after a colorful game just to see how psyched the fans get, and sometimes to know that he hasn’t always been suffering in silence. As a small guy, he never seeks out fights or rough play. Sure, he’s made some bad decisions that ended up with him on the mend, but Kent’s never dropped his gloves. He only came close once: a loud d-man from the Schooners in Kent’s first season as captain threw out some slurs. Most of the time, he doesn’t let that shit get to him. But that time, he saw one of the callups from the farm team wince. He had to do something. Thankfully, Scarps saved him before Kent wound up with a concussion. 

 

Later that night in his hotel room, he spotted someone’s play-by-play during it all on his Tumblr account that PR still doesn’t know about. They said he should never try to fight because he sucks at it and weighs as much as a paper clip, but his heart’s always been in the right place. He stills follows them today. 

 

Before lining up again, Kent takes a quick glance at the scoreboard. Deep down he knows he can’t just let Jack have this. It’s the third on Kent’s home ice playing against the love of his life with all the hockey world watching, including the fans on Twitter and Tumblr. He knows PR is gonna have his head, but Kent thinks it’s time for a little more drama and fun. This is  _ not  _ going into overtime. 

 

Only when Kent realizes he can’t slow down and sees the pissed of and somewhat scared look on the Falcs’ goalie’s face—Snowman or something—does he remember he always takes his fun a little too far. The goal siren blares. His helmet skids across the ice. The air’s pushed out of Kent’s lungs when another guy falls onto the dogpile.

 

His ears are buzzing when the ground moves away from him. With a blink he corrects himself,  _ he  _ is moving away from the ground. Mashkov is holding him up by the back of his jersey, looking ready to murder. Now’s when Kent remembers why he avoids fighting and hard checks. The man can lift him with one arm. Imagine what a hip check could do! 

 

The insults roll off Kent’s back like all the others thrown at him on the ice, but he’d feel a lot better about the situation if his skates were touching the ice. Then there would be some sort of chance at him getting away before needing stitches. 

 

Jack skates up beside them with Kent’s helmet tucked under his arm and his cold, unimpressed glare programmed onto his hockey-robot exterior. First Kent’s thoughts went to all the ways he knew how to get emotions and Jack’s personality back out from behind that calculated look, but  _ those thoughts  _ should be saved for when he isn’t about to be killed mid game. 

 

“Tater, come on.” Jack asks more than says. 

 

Mashkov sets Kent back down a little faster than he can figure out his balance again, causing him to fumble into Jack. Jack’s eyes were locked with Kent’s, neither of them noticing when Mashkov skated away. He catches Kent and steadies him, face still unmoving. Kent gets his feet under himself and stood a little straighter, bringing his face slightly closer to Jack’s. 

 

Kent knows the cameras are on them and how people must be banging on their keyboards about what they’re seeing, and he  _ knows  _ from all the years of being with Jack just how much the other man doesn’t want that. Kent ducks his head and pushes himself away just enough to get some space between them. He ruffles his hair and shrugs in a sort of apology, hoping Jack will understand what he’s saying. 

 

Yells rise up from the crowd around them, though all action on the ice has been at a standstill since Kent’s goal. They both look up to see their faces on the big screen surrounded by the hearts and flowers of the Kiss Cam. Kent can’t help but laugh. No matter how much Kent would love to grab Jack and give them all a show, he knows that’s the farthest thing possible from how he wants to come out. 

 

Kent’s helmet clatters away again when Jack favors reaching out to pull Kent back to him instead of keeping it nestled under his arm. Their eyes lock again, but this time Kent sees what Jack is trying to convey—what’s he’s asking him:  _ do you want this _ ? 

 

“Come here, Zimms,” Kent whispers, gripping Jack’s jersey and pulling him in. He pulls Jack’s own helmet off, letting it fall to the ice to join his own. 

 

Their lips pressed together like they have thousands of times over their rockey eight years together. Kent feels the slight catch of Jack’s bitten lips against his own when he readjusts, holding Jack’s cheek in his hand like if he grips on too hard this moment will disappear.  _ Their moment _ …He feels the tears burning at the corners of his eyes and smiles wide in a mixed feeling of relief, joy, and a little panic against Jack’s lips. 

 

They’re doing this. After this there isn’t any going back to pretending they’re just friends that played together in Juniors. Now the world knows all those whispers following them throughout their lives and careers have been right. Jack Zimmermann and Kent Parson are more than just their no-look one-timer and always have been despite it all. 

 

“Love you,” Kent whispers against Jack’s lips. He hears himself and cringes a little at how small he sounds, voice constrained from all this emotion bubbling up inside his throat. Jack smiles back at him and presses another kiss to his lips. 

 

“Marry me.”

 

“What?”

 

“Marry me? The ring’s in the locker room. I can give it to you after,” Jack explains, as if that explains anything at all. "We aren't hiding anymore, so I just thought--"

 

Kent laughs and clings to his boyfriend for another kiss. “You dork! Yeah, yeah, I’ll marry you.” 

 

Going from being annoyed and a little disappoint about hockey to a marriage proposal in less time than it takes for a puck to drop is something only Jack could do. Kent can't always follow his logic and where his sudden ideas come from, but he loves him all the more for it. 

 

A lineman comes over to break them up and get the game moving on. Apparently his goal counted, though that felt like years ago, and they got a few more seconds on the clock. It doesn’t matter. In the end, he got a hell of a lot more than a questionable point out of all this. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! please let me know what you think in the comments--they're what keep me going tbh. and feel free to come find me on [tumblr](http://softkent.tumblr.com/)! i'm always taking kent-related prompts over there.
> 
> [edit: this was meant to be a oneshot but it looks like the show must go on! let me know anything you wanna see!!!]


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